Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Apricot Yoelmira.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Apricot Yoelmiraxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yoelmira, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,514. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of flowering plants of Yoelmira in February, 2000, in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in May, 2000. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Apricot Yoelmira has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Apricot Yoelmiraxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Apricot Yoelmiraxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform, compact and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.
3. Small dark green-colored foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response and habit.
5. Early flowering, 8-week response time.
6. Numerous small decorative-type inflorescences.
7. Apricot bronze-colored ray florets.
8. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three or four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Yoelmira primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Yoelmira have light lavender-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more vigorous and flower about one or two days later than plants of the cultivar Yoelmira.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Dark Yoelmira, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application filed concurrently, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Dark Yoelmira have purple-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum typically do not produce pollen whereas plants of the cultivar Dark Yoelmira produce a small amount of pollen.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yellow Yoelmira, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,529. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Yoelmira in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Yellow Yoelmira.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered one or two days later than plants of the cultivar Yellow Yoelmira.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were apricot bronze in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yellow Yoelmira were yellow in color.